In the book-binding apparatus using the adhesive agent, a method of book-binding is known in which a liquid adhesive agent is used. A solid member, being a hot-melt material, to be melted as an adhesive agent is becoming more widely used.
For book-binding, the hot-melt solid adhesive agent is melted at a predetermined temperature, and which is then applied on the stacked bundle of sheets. In this case, temperature control of melting point of the solid adhesive agent is extremely important.
To replenish the adhesive agent into the adhesive agent tank, a replenishing section is widely used in which a predetermined amount of the adhesive agent is supplied, independently of the used amount of the adhesive agent. However, if a large predetermined amount is established by the operator, temperature for melting the adhesive agent in the tank largely drops so that the adhesive agent does not melt at its required temperature, and thereby, an abnormal odor is generated from the adhesive agent. Further, if a small predetermined amount is established, the number of times of the replenishment increases, which results in short durability of the parts incorporated in the apparatus, as well as results in an increase of inherent operating sounds.
In order to overcome these problems, in Patent Document 1, after the adhesive agent is coated on the spine of the stacked bundle of sheets, the adhesive agent is required to be dried in a short time. That is, a dryer section which includes a heater, a blower and a duct, and an adhesive section which includes an adhesive roller to apply the adhesive agent on the spine, and an adhesive tank, are arranged in this order. While a cramp section secures the stacked bundle of sheets, a moving section of the sheet securing section drives a sheet securing section from the cramp section, and further drives back and forth to the dryer section and the adhesive section. A control section controls the moving section of the sheet securing section and the dryer section while the reciprocating movement of the sheet securing section so that the coating of the adhesive agent and drying can be effectively controlled.
Patent Document 1 shows that via forcing the adhered section to be dried in a short time, generation of abnormal odor is controlled.
Patent Document 2 shows a book-binding apparatus in which an adhesive agent pool and an integral roller moves under the stacked bundle of sheets to apply the adhesive agent onto the spine of the stacked bundle of sheets, and by detecting thickness of the stacked bundle of sheets, during the reciprocating movement of the adhesive agent pool, the rotation of the roller is differently controlled for effective bonding.
Further, an electromagnetic induction coil is used for the heat source to melt the adhesive agent, and a thermo-couple method is used for the temperature control section. In this method, when the adhesive agent is reduced due to consumption, the top level of the adhesive agent is lowered than the position of the thermo couple, then the detected temperature becomes lower than the predetermined temperature, and an appropriate signal is sent to the control section. The control section receives this signal and operates an adhesive agent replenishing unit to supply the adhesive agent.
In Patent Document 3, a pasting bookmaking apparatus is described, which includes: an adhesive agent container for housing the adhesive agent, featuring an open section, a container loading section for loading the adhesive agent container at a predetermined position, a supplying tube for sending the adhesive agent ejected from the open section, an adhesive agent discharging section connected to the supplying tube for discharging the adhesive agent from a nozzle top, a temperature sensor and a heating section placed adjacent to the adhesive agent container, and a control section wherein when the temperature sensor detects that the temperature is lower than a predetermined temperature, the control section activates a power source of the heating section, and makes the heating section to increase the temperature of the adhesive agent container.
In a bookbinding apparatus of Patent Document 4, the back face of the paper bundle is coated with the adhesive agent by integrally reciprocating an adhesive reservoir and a roller on the lower side of the paper bundle, an adhesive feeding unit provided from a standby position of the adhesive reservoir to a facing position by pinching the paper bundle, is further provided. The adhesive feeding unit is composed of a storing section for storing a particulate adhesive agent, included carrying paths for the particulate adhesive agent provided below and in a declining slope from the storing section, and a feeding hole to allow the particulate adhesive to pass through the inclined carrying paths. The adhesive feeding unit feeds a specified amount of the particulate adhesive agent into the adhesive reservoir at appropriate timing when the adhesive reservoir is moved, and which exists near the feeding hole.
[Patent Document 1] Unexamined Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 9-156249
[Patent Document 2] Unexamined Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2005-178187
[Patent Document 3] Unexamined Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2002-177847
[Patent Document 4] Unexamined Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2004-209746